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Dissident republicans have developed the capability to mount an attack on the British mainland, according to the latest security assessment. Senior counter-terrorism sources confirmed the threat from dissidents attacking the mainland "now goes beyond an aspiration" and that they now possess the means to mount an attack across the Irish Sea.

Amid rising tension in the province and fears of an "Easter offensive" by dissident groups, police in Northern Ireland also warned that anti-ceasefire republicans were plotting to kill more police officers.

The increased threat from republican dissidents is certain to heighten security concerns during the build-up to the royal wedding on Friday, although there is no intelligence suggesting a specific plot related to the event.

On Friday another dissident grouping, styling itself "the IRA", issued a public statement claiming responsibility for the murder of PC Ronan Kerr in Omagh this month. The group, comprising former members of the Provisional IRA, vowed to embark on a bombing campaign. It is understood that the new group includes veteran paramilitaries who were involved in transporting and later detonating the bomb that exploded at London's Canary Wharf in 1996.

Intelligence officials monitoring dissident activity point to a growing sophistication in bomb-making techniques and a widening range of attack techniques as evidence of expanding capability. A senior intelligence source told the Observer: "We feel there is capability to attempt some form of an attack on Britain. Based on our assessment, it goes beyond an aspiration." Dissident groups have recently deployed command-wire explosive devices, van-mounted weaponry, car bombs and vehicle booby traps, as well as more orthodox military equipment such as hand-grenades. Several individuals are believed to be under surveillance.

The mainland has not experienced an Irish republican attack since car bombs exploded at the BBC Television Centre and Ealing Broadway station in London in 2001. The head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, said last September, however, that dissidents posed a "real and increasing security challenge in Northern Ireland" and could be planning attacks elsewhere. According to MI5's Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, the official threat level is "substantial", meaning an attack is a "strong possibility".

On Saturday a man appeared in court facing charges in connection with the murder of Kerr. Gavin Coyle, 33, from Omagh was charged with possession of explosives, firearms and articles likely to be of use to terrorists. He was remanded in custody. The court heard he was linked to a footprint found at a major dissident republican arms dump in Coalisland during investigations into Kerr's murder. Police have also revealed details of a substantial haul of guns and ammunition found in a vehicle stopped by officers in Keady, near the Irish border, on Friday.

Attention has concentrated upon the Real IRA and the smaller but technically able Oglaigh na hEireann, which has improved its explosives technology over the past two years. Analysis suggests that the explosives material being used by dissidents may have originated from a onetime Provisional IRA stockpile whose whereabouts were known by former quartermaster general Michael McKevitt – who formed the Real IRA.

Police in Northern Ireland said yesterday that fresh violence was expected. "Dissident terrorist groups are continuing to identify officers and target them with the single objective of killing them," a spokesman said.

In further evidence of growing confidence among extremist republican groups, a leading figure in one of the dissident groups' political wings announced that the Queen should be considered a "legitimate target" during her visit to Ireland in May. The general secretary of the hardline Republican Sinn Féin party, Josephine Hayden, said she would have no problem with a sniper targeting the Queen. "You might say that she is just a little old grandmother," said Hayden, "but it is what she represents, what she symbolises that counts. She is a legitimate target."

The Observer has learned that a radical republican group known as Eirígí: for a Socialist Republic is planning to occupy Dublin's Garden of Remembrance 48 hours before the Queen is scheduled to attend a reconciliation ceremony there.

Republicans in Dublin say the splinter group plans to establish a tented camp on the Sunday prior to the visit, creating the possibility that the Garda Siochána will have to forcibly remove protesters before the royal tour begins on 17 May.

On 5 May, Northern Ireland is braced for trouble to mark assembly elections and the 30th anniversary of the death of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Future trouble could depend on the reaction from the loyalist community, described by sources as "relatively restrained" until now. A 40-year-old Belfast man was, however, arrested on Saturday in connection with loyalist terrorist activity.My link

Refusing to use the spellchick!

I have put you on ignore. No really, I have, but you are still ruining my enjoyment of this site. .

"After the events of today in South Belfast I am sick to the stomach. Over 33,000 people in this group are standing united saying "NOT IN MY NAME" and I sincerely hope that we will all not be joining a group similar to this ever again. I am worried for friends and family in the security services and the dissidents have shown that all parts of Northern Ireland are potential areas for targets. When will they get the message that they are very much in the minority and that they have no place in Northern Ireland? Everyime you see a PSNI officer, thank them for what they do, The officers last night were serving their community in responding to a "woman in distress" - the thing is that if a similar call comes in tonight, the men and women of the PSNI will respond again. Keep safe and thank you."

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies."

Senator Barack ObamaSenate Floor Speech on Public DebtMarch 16, 2006

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This is further evidence that Muslims are slackin' when European Christians are again denoted as terrorists. Let's hope they're not also multiculturalists. I hear that Europeans really hate multiculturalism.

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GEG, I would expect better than that from you. You know the conflict is less about religion than it is about the desire to eject Britain from the North.

I don't think she meant it the way you took it. I think what she was saying was that both statements are trite and meaningless. Of course, I could be wrong.

Personally, I am really disappointed that there is the possibility for this to flare up into violence again, even if those who are stirring the ###### are a very, very small minority. The vast majority of NI residents really do not want the situation to go back 20 years, and that's people on both sides.

Edited April 24, 2011 by The Truth™

Refusing to use the spellchick!

I have put you on ignore. No really, I have, but you are still ruining my enjoyment of this site. .

I don't think she meant it the way you took it. I think what she was saying was that both statements are trite and meaningless. Of course, I could be wrong.

Personally, I am really disappointed that there is the possibility for this to flare up into violence again, even if those who are stirring the ###### are a very, very small minority. The vast majority of NI residents really do not want the situation to go back 20 years, and that's people on both sides.

Well, I wasn't angry with the post. I'm confused frankly and await an explanation.

I doubt that you really mean bringing violence to the mainland as the violence flaring "again". But I'd wager such thinking would be the perception of many dissidents. It reminds me of Martin McGuinness famously stating that "only the IRA can bring Britain to the table".

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Well, I wasn't angry with the post. I'm confused frankly and await an explanation.

And I have no idea what Galt is getting at. But that is not unusual.

I agree with you whole-heartedly that the vast majority want peace.

I would only disagree with your summation of violence flaring up "again". The violence has never stopped. Two years ago two soldiers were murdered outside the Massareene barrakcs (http://en.wikipedia....rracks_shooting ) in Antrim. There have been dozens (maybe hundreds) of incidents of pipe bombings and alerts. In Londonderry (husband's home town) there was not one but TWO explosions of large bombs in the city center in 2010 ( http://www.bbc.co.uk...reland-11551799 ).

I doubt that you really mean bringing violence to the mainland as the violence flaring "again". But I'd wager such thinking would be the perception of many dissidents. It reminds me of Martin McGuinness famously stating that "only the IRA can bring Britain to the table".

Fair enough, bad choice of words re violence flaring, escalating would have been better. I really only meant that what violence there has been over the last decade was nothing like the violence that preceded it prior to the peace agreement and the re-introduction of representation in Stormont. I might not live there any longer, but 25 years of doing so has left its mark.

It's probably better to ignore JG altogether. My guess is that he assumed that the article was posted as some counterpoint to muslim terrorism and his comment was meant to suggest that the two are not analogous. On the first, totally wrong, I posted it because it is current and it is something I am interested in for obvious reasons on the second, mostly correct, although in so far as all terrorism is ultimately about power struggles, not completely.

Edited April 24, 2011 by The Truth™

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I have put you on ignore. No really, I have, but you are still ruining my enjoyment of this site. .

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No kidding, and no coincidence I am sure. Makes you wonder if the happy couple should have been more judicious in their choice of dates. Mind you, I read somewhere that the lovely Kate is in the family way, but as it was in a checkout queue, I could have been reading one of those mags that just makes stuff up

Refusing to use the spellchick!

I have put you on ignore. No really, I have, but you are still ruining my enjoyment of this site. .

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There have been a few incidents in London over the past 10 years or so, notably that pub in and a bomb on the Hammersmith bridge. Before I left England I worked in a building near Hammersmith station and evacuations for bomb threats were not rare - they were always attributed to the Real IRA, who I believe have recently made noises about targeting banks and what not this past year

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